Foresight conducted a panel study of 2,500 parents of nearly 4,000 schoolchildren and college students to find out how much it costs Austrian families to educate their children.

All respondents kept diaries throughout the year, in which they recorded all expenses directly or indirectly related to education: for stationery, textbooks, computers, school and sports uniforms, extracurricular activities, as well as for additional lessons and tutoring services. The results of the study showed that on average, such family expenses per child are equal to €2223 per year.

 
According to Austrian law, public school education, which lasts nine years, is free and compulsory for all citizens of the country. The percentage of private schools is small - about 10% of the total number of secondary educational institutions. Most of them are Catholic schools.

 
Parents whose children attend gymnasiums spend the least - about €2097 per student. Families spend an average of €2,254 on educating a child in primary school, and €2,592 in schools and colleges.

Stationery and educational literature cost about €300 per year, sportswear and equipment - €200. A third of parents buy computers and tablets for their children to study, the budget for their purchase is on average €529.

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More than half of the respondents (55%) regularly donate money for school events and excursions, 61% make voluntary contributions and donations. 28% of respondents pay for the services of tutors, 37% pay for the stay of children in extended day groups. Most of the expenses fall on the beginning of the school year, the second peak is observed closer to the summer holidays, when the maximum of excursions and sports events is held and the cost of tutors before exams increases.

President of the Austrian Chamber of Labor Renate Anderl calls on the authorities to make education in public educational institutions completely free. In her opinion, schools should not only cover the costs of extracurricular and extracurricular activities, but also provide children with all the necessary stationery and educational materials. The politician advocates the introduction of a flexible system for the distribution of funds, thanks to which educational institutions with financial problems will receive more resources. Anderl also proposes to provide additional financial assistance to families of children with special educational needs and open new extended day groups. Corinna Schumann, vice-president of the Austrian Confederation of Trade Unions, demands that the government provide financial support to all families of schoolchildren.